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ELEANOR HALL: To Queensland, where the State's Environment Minister has denied any link between his government's approval of a dredging operation near the Great Barrier Reef and a political donation.

The Australian Financial Review is reporting today that the developer who gained the approval gave $150,000 to the LNP, a week before the Government approved the dredging operation at Airlie Beach.

The Environment Minister is denying that anything untoward occurred.

MARIA HATZAKIS: According to the report published in the Australian Financial Review, former coal baron turned marina operator Paul Darrouzet gave $150 000 to the LNP a week before gaining approval to dredge near the Great Barrier Reef.

It claims the developer gave the money in two instalments in August last year via his private investment company Pondcote.

A week later, the Queensland Department of Environment and Heritage Protection approved an amendment to allow further maintenance dredging at the Abell Point Marina at Airlie Beach in north Queensland, near the Great Barrier Reef.

ANDREW POWELL: If the author of this report has any evidence to support their link or the statements they've made, then I recommend that they refer them to the right authority and in this case I'd imagine that'd be the CCC (Crime and Conduct Commission).

MARIA HATZAKIS: The report comes as the State LNP Government tries to claw back public support after suffering a massive loss to Labor in the recent by-election in the Brisbane seat of Stafford.

The latest Galaxy Poll out today shows Labor leader Annastacia Palaszczuk has all but closed the gap between her and Campbell Newman as preferred premier.

The survey in the Courier Mail shows Ms Palaszczuk's now trails by just one point, with 41 per cent support.

Political commentator Dr Paul Williams from Griffith University says the Government's been trying to avoid controversy and change a public perception that it's too close to business, and this report won't help.

PAUL WILLIAMS: This opinion poll tells us that it's probably not working, that the electorate tends to have made up its mind.

And certainly when they see articles such as business getting too cosy with the Government, it sort of undoes a lot of that good work that the Premier and the Government seems to have done.

MARIA HATZAKIS: Dr Williams says the report comes amid criticism of the Government's decision to lift the threshold for donation disclosures from $1,000 to $12,400.

PAUL WILLIAMS: The fact that it's been raised to $12,400 ostensibly means that people can donate say $11,000 or $12,000 every month and slip under the radar, they won't be publicly recorded or publicly revealed on the internet for example.

So obviously that's been a concern to a lot of people, some people say this might be the thin edge of the wedge, that we'll be going back to pre-Fitzgerald days of money in brown paper bags, and so on.

MARIA HATZAKIS: He says while New South Wales has very strict laws banning donations from property developers, Queensland doesn't.

Every group is on an equal footing.

PAUL WILLIAMS: That has generated over $40 million in the last year for the LNP and the Labor Party's generated only about half that amount - just over $20 million.

But the fact that the LNP has been able to generate twice as much income, suggest that they've got a pretty impressive war chest for the next election which is only seven months away.